in RPG news I am currently running the 5e Ravenloft campaign Curse of Strahd and LOVING it. It is spooky and deadly and my players spend a lot of time talking about how scared they are. Whee!
Buffy: How was school today? Dawn: The usual. A big square building filled with boredom and despair.
Buffy: Just how I remember it.
'The Killer In Me'
Gaming 1: You are likely to be eaten by a grue
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Laga - Apr 12, 2016 8:31:49 am PDT #25122 of 26133
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.
Connie Neil - Apr 12, 2016 9:09:31 am PDT #25123 of 26133
brillig
Oh, gosh, Ravenloft. There was a follow-up Ravenloft campaign, I think, where Strahd pops up in the middle, and he doesn't know he's this dark, powerful vampire (I'm not sure if he even is, in this adventure). But I had the party(I was DM) at a moderately-sinister dinner in the somewhat-creepy castle, and the master of the house strolls in and gives them a charming smile and said "Welcome to my home, I am Strahd." The party screamed. I laughed for ten minutes.
God, I miss DMing.
(Those bastards managed to kill Strahd halfway through the original Ravenloft adventure, with a combination of a natural 20 on their side and a natural 1 on Strahd's side and no way to honorably get out of it. Boy, I was pissed)
Laga - Apr 12, 2016 9:24:59 am PDT #25124 of 26133
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.
oh wow yeah that would suck. Part of the fun of DMing this looks to be introducing Strahd to the party when they are So Not Prepared.
Kalshane - Apr 13, 2016 4:49:52 am PDT #25125 of 26133
GS: If you had to choose between kicking evil in the head or the behind, which would you choose, and why?
Minsc: I'm not sure I understand the question. I have two feet, do I not? You do not take a small plate when the feast of evil welcomes seconds.
That's awesome, Laga.
I've never been good at getting spooky right. I've been running Rise of the Runelords the last 2 years (final session next week) which has some horror elements at points and I think the only time I managed to legitimately freak them out was with a mysterious ghost dog watching them in a haunted swamp and that was just a throwaway atmospheric bit.
Though I did scare the crap out of them (in a fight or flight way) when they got ambushed by a white dragon and it hit the entire party with its breath weapon in the surprise round.
Laga - Apr 13, 2016 5:44:54 am PDT #25126 of 26133
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.
ooh ouch! It's so hard keeping your players sufficiently scared without actually killing (all of) them.
Really it is the excellent writing that makes the Ravenloft campaign so spooky. Although my players say it's very unnerving the way I laugh sometimes.
billytea - Apr 13, 2016 11:32:27 am PDT #25127 of 26133
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
RftG
Orders are in for Round 10, and there's a whole lot of not playing anything going on.
Ryan: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
Laga: Phase V - Produce
omnis: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
Connie Neil: Phase I (+1/+1) - Explore (draw +1 card, keep +1 card)
chrismg: Phase I (+1/+1) - Explore (draw +1 card, keep +1 card)
Looks like people want more cards. Phase I (Explore) is first.
Ryan
draws 2 cards, takes them into his hand and discards 1, in accordance with the scripture.
Laga
draws 4 cards and keeps 1.
omnis
draws 3 cards, takes them into his hand and discards 2.
Connie
draws 5 cards and keeps 2.
chrismg
draws 4 cards and keeps 2.
Cards are going out now, by which I mean soon.
billytea - Apr 14, 2016 9:29:32 am PDT #25128 of 26133
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
RftG
Discards are done. We move to Phase IV (Consume).
Ryan chose this phase, and trades his Green good for 6 cards, getting +2 from Merchant World. He then discards 2 cards for 2 VPs, again from Merchant World.
Laga draws 1 card from New Economy.
omnis also chose this phase, and trades his Yellow good for 6 cards (+1 from Export Duties).
Connie and chrismg both pass, having no goods.
billytea - Apr 14, 2016 9:38:38 am PDT #25129 of 26133
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
RftG
Finally, Laga chose Phase V (Produce), and everyone is welcome.
Ryan replaces his Green good and adds a Brown good. In addition, he now has 4 Rebel worlds in his layout; he draws 4 cards from Rebel Cantina.
Laga produces 2 Blue goods, 1 Brown good and 1 Green good. She produces on a Green windfall world as she chose this phase.
omnis produces 3 Blue goods; Free Trade Association lets him produce on his Blue windfall world.
Connie produces 1 Brown good and 1 Green good. She then draws 1 card for producing on Comet Zone, and 4 more from Uplift Code as she now has two Genes cards (with the Chromosome symbol).
chrismg produces 1 Blue good and 1 Green good.
Cards are going out now. And that concludes Round 10. Everyone, please send me your choice of Action card for Round 11. Everyone but Ryan, who can send me his Action card; but with the 6 cards he drew from trading, and the 4 from producing, he now holds 14 cards. Some discarding will be in order.
By the way, in amongst the Explore draws, the Trade draws, the Produce bonuses and the goods produced, this round you all drew a whopping total of 53 cards from the deck. That's more than 10 cards each, on average.
billytea - Apr 14, 2016 11:30:07 am PDT #25130 of 26133
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
RftG
End-of-round summary:
Round 10
Goals
Propaganda Edge - Most Rebel Military Worlds (Ryan)
Production Leader - Most Production Worlds
Overlord Discoveries - First to 3 Alien cards
Galactic Riches - First to 4 goods (Laga)
Uplift Knowledge - First to 3 Uplift cards (Laga)
Innovation Leader - First to have a power in each phase (Laga)
Ryan
Layout
Rebel Cantina (Non-Military World)
Merchant World (Non-Military World)
Distant World (Non-Military Green Production World) + good
Rebel Pact (Development)
Primitive Rebel World (Military Blue Windfall World)
Rebel Outpost (Military World)
Rebel Miners (Military Brown Production World) + good
Cards in Hand:
10
Military Strength:
1
Victory Points:
9
Layout Value:
12
6-Cost Developments:
0
Goals:
5
Laga
Layout
Galactic Developers (Non-Military World)
Contact Specialist (Development)
New Vinland (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Star Nomad Lair (Military Blue Windfall World)
New Earth (Non-Military Brown Production World) + good
Devolved Uplift Race (Military Blue Production World) + good
Insect Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World) + good
The Last Of The Uplift Gnarssh (Military Green Windfall World)
Rebel Alliance (6-Cost Development)
Clandestine Uplift Lab (Military World)
New Economy (6-Cost Development)
Cards in Hand:
6
Military Strength:
-1
Victory Points:
4
Layout Value:
12
6-Cost Developments:
13
Goals:
9
omnis
Layout
New Sparta (Military World)
Free Trade Association (6-Cost Development)
Smuggling World (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Galactic Resort (Non-Military Blue Windfall World) + good
Prosperous World (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Deserted Alien World (Non-Military World)
Export Duties (Development)
Alien Robot Scout Ship (Military Yellow Windfall World) + good
Cards in Hand:
9
Military Strength:
3
Victory Points:
8
Layout Value:
11
6-Cost Developments:
5
Goals:
0
Connie Neil
Layout
Imperium Warlord (Non-Military World)
Outlaw World (Military World)
Abandoned Alien Uplift Camp (Non-Military World)
Comet Zone (Non-Military Brown Production World) + good
Reptilian Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Plague World (Non-Military Green Production World) + good
Avian Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Uplift Code (6-Cost Development)
Galactic Genome Project (6-Cost Development)
Cards in Hand:
8
Military Strength:
1
Victory Points:
4
Layout Value:
11
6-Cost Developments:
16
Goals:
0
chrismg
Layout
Epsilon Eridani (Non-Military World)
Runaway Robots (Military Brown Windfall World)
Secluded World (Non-Military Blue Production World) + good
Interstellar Bank (Development)
Mercenary Fleet (Development)
Hidden Fortress (Military World)
Space Mercenaries (Development)
Rebel Base (Military World)
Imperium Cloaking Technology (Development)
Malevolent Lifeforms (Military Green Production World) + good
Galactic Imperium (6-Cost Development)
Rebel Homeworld (Military World)
Cards in Hand:
3
Military Strength:
9
Victory Points:
2
Layout (continued...)
billytea - Apr 14, 2016 11:30:07 am PDT #25131 of 26133
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
( continues...) Value:
24
6-Cost Developments:
7
Goals:
0
VP Pool: 35